Men In Hijabs: Iranian Green Movement’s New Tactic

Iranian oppositionists have launched a campaign in support of student Majid Tavakoli, who was arrested on Students Day on December 7 after giving a passionate speech during an antigovernment protest at Tehran’s Amir Kabir University.

The semi-official Fars news agency posted pictures of Tavakoli dressed as a woman after he reportedly tried to escape by disguising himself. Fars paired a picture of Tavakoli with one of Abol Hassan Bani Sadr, Iran’s first president after the 1979 revolution, who reportedly escaped in 1981 disguised as a woman.

In solidarity with Tavakoli, some Iranian men are taking pictures of themselves while wearing the Islamic hijab, which is compulsory for women in Iran, and posting the pictures on Facebook. (Check out the photos here.)

The Islamic Association of the Amir Kabir University has also condemned the arrest of Tavakoli and other students and said that Tavakoli, whether dressed as a woman or a man, is the pride of Iran’s student movement.

Within a few days, Tavakoli has become a new hero of Iran’s Green movement. Oppositionists say he was beaten up during his arrest had already spent several days in jail before his detention this week.

He’s being praised for his courage to stand up to repression despite the fact that he was aware that he could be rearrested and jailed. He reportedly traveled from Bandar Abbas to Tehran to attend the Students Day protest.